Leaving Niagara for a camping trip recently during one of the smoke alerts, we decided not to take the Toronto, Kingston, Cornwall, Montreal route to the East Coast and instead headed for the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie and set our Garmin for Bangor, Maine.
The drive through New York State was uneventful and direct, and we enjoyed the scenery, especially when we got to Massachusetts.
The drive around Boston was a nightmare with heavy traffic and construction delays but, we got through it just as it started to rain. Drove through that for a while and headed to Black Bear Campground near Salisbury, Mass. for an overnight stay. Nothing fancy here and nothing to write about. It is the usual private campground with general comforts and amenities. But it sure was nice to hit the pillow after 12 hours on the road.
Next morning, my Claudia examined the route and we made the decision to set our sites on Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, which was seven hours away. We would pass through a section of New Hampshire, the ‘Live Free or Die’ state, and Maine, ‘The Way Life Should Be’ state, before crossing back into
Canada.
We were up early, coffee and oatmeal with blueberries to get us going and hit the road once again. This drive proved uneventful and we crossed back into Canada at St. Stephen’s, New Brunswick. A disappointment for me was not being able to purchase Duty Free alcohol, as we had not been out of country for the requisite 48 hours (sigh).
Fundy National Park, located on the west side of the Bay of Fundy is well worth the visit. At this park there are five campgrounds offering spaces for tents, trailers, etc., but also cabins, yurts, TentTiks (a combination of tent cabin) and an area called Oasis, with what are described as duplex cabins.
Our campground, Headquarters, was overlooking the nearby town of Alma, which of course boasts the ‘Highest Tides in the World’. A small town with restaurants, gas and a general store, all of which provide much to the traveller.
The first thing I spotted was a sign for the Alma Lobster House and we headed in that direction. Off the road a bit, but not too far. The building houses a store offering fresh seafood, but an attached restaurant and outdoor covered patio was most comfortable for a bowl of seafood chowder and a lobster roll, both of which were very delicious. The fish and chips that Claudia had was also very good and we both enjoyed the taste of down-east cooking.
The trail guide at Fundy National Park is extensive with five easy, 12 moderate and 13 difficult trails. They are also grouped into categories for Fundy Favourites, Family Friendly, Coastal Trails, Cycling Adventures, and Hidden Gems. These will appeal to varied skilled interest levels. Universal access is also available at several areas throughout the park.
Located less than an hour away is Hopewell Rocks, another major attraction in the Fundy Bay area. It’s a well-
developed Day Use Provincial Park. Walking paths lead to a variety of overlooks where you can observe these wonderful creations of the tides.
We took Lovers’ Arch, which leads to a platform overlooking the main features. We also continued down to the ‘floor of the ocean,’ where you can walk when the tide is out.
Walking carefully along the shore, we passed a number of other features, including ET Rock and Mother-in-Law Rock, and ended up at the ocean floor access ramp near the North Beach. After our walk we were not looking forward to the walk back up to the top, and were relieved to be able to take the shuttle ride, “The best $2, I’ll spend today,” as my wife described it.
There is a world-class Interpretive Centre located at the park, with a self-guided multimedia exhibit that describes the science of the park and what can be seen on the ocean floor, and of course a gift shop and restaurant are located there as well — all of it well worth a day’s stop along the journey!
